Bringing back the topic of the lottery pick; If we got the #2 pick, who would you pick? Seems like the consensus is that Thomas Robinson of Kansas and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Kentucky are the next best players after Anthony Davis of Kentucky. TRobinson is a PF and MKG is a SF and both look like they will have very good nba careers.

Personally, I'd pick MKG, just because he is a SF and that is what we need to fill out the starting five. We could pick either one of the two and trade him as well, which means TRobinson could be picked and traded to get the team a sure thing at SF or another position.

If we put our position need first Gilchrist. If we get the best player available (my choice) i would take the player Jerry West thinks is the best. If that was Robinson i would then start looking for a big time trade involving Lee for an All star calibre SF. If that was Drummond, or Bale (both projected by some mock draft in top 4) i would do the same thing without involving Lee.

I'm all for a trade, but I'd be looking to make a deal with one of the teams in the top 4 range. I think the #4 pick could be enough to get MKG and if he is gone, Robinson. I think another trade could be done to get an established good SF if the team couldn't pick MKG at that point. Trying to keep the pick at #7 is good, but the price shouldn't be too much, more like making the pick next year unprotected at #5 onwards.

Hmmm, the Warriors sound very confident in their secret admiration of the draft (whoever he may be). Sacrificing an asset to stay in the 5-7 range means they see some major talent in someone they believe 6 teams will pass up on. I'm intrigued.

If we keep our 7th pick I hope we can parlay our 30th pick + one of our bad contracts to gain some financial flexibility to get some depth on this team. Our starting lineup looks very solid, but outside of Rush I don't think our 2nd unit is going to be nearly as good as other teams in the league. If not unloading the contracts, maybe an effective veteran.

I really would like GWallace for at least three years right now, at no more than 7 million a year. Reason I say that is because unless it's MKG I just don't think there is a SF that is starting material straight away. I'd rather find a trade like the #30 and DWright for a TE, thus salary relief, to get a proven contributor than trade possible assets to Utah to not just keep just the #7 pick, but also likely take on bad salary for a fair length of time.

Best thing is to make the lottery pick next year less protected, not giving any of the current players now that are starters and/or cheap salary. I hope there is no horrible trade to keep this #7 pick in the works, otherwise it will nullify any gain. Then again, I'd take a trade that takes AJeff or Millsap for something like AB or RJ, but that's not going to happen, even though Utah has Favors and Kanter coming up as their bigs.

8th ave wrote:If we keep our 7th pick I hope we can parlay our 30th pick + one of our bad contracts to gain some financial flexibility to get some depth on this team. Our starting lineup looks very solid, but outside of Rush I don't think our 2nd unit is going to be nearly as good as other teams in the league. If not unloading the contracts, maybe an effective veteran.

McGuire's an undervalued asset. Toughness isn't quite as dire until playoff season, but it's guys like that who show up outta nowhere (ala Reggie Evans this year, Barnes via We Believe, the Davis boys on Reggie Miller's Pacers, etc). Dom is ready at any time to lock up the best opposing player; sometimes all 5 positions (depending on whose playing center).

Outside of McGuire and Rush, I believe Wright will seem better suited for bench duty (assuming RJ knocks him outta the starting lineup; which he could have done in his sleep as early as 2 years ago). Still, all 3 are wings and 2 of them together will make over $12 million (McGuire's pat-on-the-back contract notwithstanding).

That being said, retaining Robinson becomes paramount if the team expects playoffs next year. There's no backup big in sight unless somebody straps a flux-capacitor on Biedrins and warps him back to '07 form (unlikely). Jenkins have proven to be valuable trade sweetener (not bad for a 2nd rounder), but I don't trust him to not make the young mistakes he'd expose given a meaningful role outside of garbage squad Baron Davis duty. A platoon of Curry and Robinson serves a function; Nate immediately speeds up the team - which may prove extra useful now that we've got the inside tandem of Lee and Bogut to fall back on the slow scheme as a default. Jenkins (while not the same as Curry in execution) is redundant by design. A slashing, defensively pesky change-up will be worth more than a green Will Bynum clone - minus the explosiveness inside.

Perhaps Jenkins and the Spurs pick can net us something in the 15-20 range; that way we can at least combine the salaries of 2 assets and turn it into a backup 4 with an NBA ready trick (defense, low post scoring... pick one).